Centre May Plan to Extend Nationwide Lockdown

The Union Government may extend the 21-day lockdown, which is supposed to end on April 14. Several states have come forward with request against withdrawing nationwide lockdown.

The 21 – day lockdown was announced by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on March 24. If the centre considers the requests of those states, the lockdown could be extended till the end of April, a senior Government official said.

India has reported 114 Covid-19 related deaths across the country and a jump of 354 coronavirus disease cases taking the tally to 4421.

In a letter to the centre, the Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “The lives of people are more important, the economy can be built again but if people die, how will we bring them back? That is why, if the need arises we will extend the lockdown, a decision will be taken based on the situation”.

The Telangana, CM, K Chandrashekhar Rao, has cautioned that if the lockdown was lifted it could cost lives and that it is the reason the country has seen very few cases.

“It is true that the country’s economy has taken a beating during the lockdown period. Telangana, too, suffered heavily – our revenue was just Rs 6 crore in the last six days, against the expected revenue of Rs 2,500 crore. But we can always revive the economy once this crisis is over, but we cannot bring back the lives of the people who could die in large numbers if the lockdown is lifted”, Rao told the centre.

Besides those appealed the centre to rethink over lifting of the 21-day nationwide lockdown include Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, Karnataka State Medical Education Minister, Dr K Sudhakar, Assam Health Minister, Himanta Biswa Sharma, Uttar Pradesh Additional CS (Home), Awanish Kumar Awasthi, Punjab CM, Suresh Kumar and Maharashtra Health Minister, Rajesh Tope.